Since 1994, Potluck in the Park has celebrated Christmas by sharing a hot meal, friendship, and holiday cheer with anyone in need. What began as a simple act of compassion has grown into one of Portland’s longest-running holiday traditions — a community effort that now brings together more than 300 volunteers and serves over a thousand guests each year.
The first Potluck Christmas Dinner was born from a simple question: Should we skip our Sunday meal because it’s Christmas?
When Potluck founder David Utzinger realized that Christmas Day in 1994 fell on a Sunday, he wanted to continue the group’s unbroken record of serving every week — but not outdoors in December weather. While walking the neighborhood, he stopped by the YWCA to ask if they knew of a possible space. Facilities Director Kathy Batz surprised him with, “Why not use our gym?”
That generous offer started a tradition. The following year, Potluck returned to the YWCA — this time on Christmas Eve — and from then on, it became an annual event. For nearly 20 years (except two seasons during YWCA renovations when it moved to the Crystal Ballroom), the Y served as our Christmas home.
From the beginning, the community came together to make it special:
West Coast Event Productions and Peter Corvallis Productions supplied tables, chairs, and décor each year — a partnership that continues decades later.
Kelly Bean began the tradition of decorating the hall with greenery from local wholesale florists. Today, Teufel Nursery continues to donate the beautiful greens that fill the space with holiday cheer.
When the YWCA closed its downtown facility in 2013, Potluck in the Park found a new home for Christmas Dinner just across the street at the Portland Art Museum. Museum Director Brian Ferriso immediately embraced the idea, offering the Fred and Suzanne Fields Sunken Ballroom in the Mark Building.
The first dinner there in 2014 was an instant success — warm, festive, and full of community spirit. The partnership has flourished ever since.
Even during the pandemic, the collaboration endured: in 2020 the event paused, and in 2021 volunteers served take-out meals from tents outside, using the museum kitchen and ballroom to prepare over a thousand boxed dinners. Today, the tradition continues stronger than ever — back indoors, side by side with the museum’s dedicated staff and volunteers.
No Potluck Christmas Dinner would be complete without live music, gifts, and the magic of Santa.
Jazz pianist Tom Grant helped establish the musical tradition in the early years, joined by talented performers like Ramsey Embick, George Mitchell, and Patrick Lamb. Our friends at Classic Pianos (formerly Moe’s Pianos) have loaned a grand piano nearly every year for three decades.
Guests receive warm clothing — socks, hats, and gloves — donated by generous schools and community groups. The tradition began with students at Cathedral Elementary, who stuffed socks with toiletries and treats for nearly 30 years.
Santa Claus has been part of every Christmas Dinner. Long-time Santa Volunteers like George Kinne and Tom Fryback brought joy and laughter to thousands of guests. Photographer Victor Paru and his team now capture digital photos with Santa so guests can take home a printed memory that same day.
In the early years, dishes were truly a potluck — volunteers brought home-cooked sides and desserts. As the dinner grew, so did the need for professional food preparation to meet safety standards.
Long-time culinary partners stepped in:
DeAngelo’s Catering & Events, led by Potluck Board Chair Steve DeAngelo, now prepares and carves hundreds of turkeys each year.
The Downtown Hilton and DoubleTree by Hilton at Lloyd Center have provided generous donations of traditional side dishes — mashed potatoes, vegetables, and salads. The DoubleTree continues this partnership to this day.
Home bakers still provide desserts and pastries, preserving the personal, homemade touch that defines Potluck’s meals.
Potluck’s Christmas Dinner has become Portland’s largest holiday meal, serving between 800 and 1,300 guests each year — even during snow, rain, and freezing temperatures. More than 300 volunteers come together to cook, decorate, serve, and clean up, ensuring that everyone who attends experiences warmth, dignity, and belonging.
Every plate served, every carol played, every smile exchanged reflects the same belief that inspired that first dinner in 1994:
No one should be alone or hungry on Christmas.
Christmas Dinner Flyers